Autonomous vehicles can improve the safety and efficiency of transportation systems. Autonomous vehicles rely on microprocessors and sensors to make routing and maneuvering decisions. As a result, in many cases, these vehicles can react more quickly and accurately to changing conditions than a human driver. Thus, autonomous vehicles can travel closer together and at higher speeds, for example, reducing congestion.
Autonomous vehicles can operate purely on sensor data. These vehicles can use data generated or received from, for example, one or more location systems (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) and/or cell tower location systems), proximity sensors, cameras, and/or other sensors to stay in a particular lane, for example, stop for red lights, avoid other vehicles and pedestrians, locate addresses and landmarks (e.g., bridges, building, etc.), and to safely travel from one location to another. This process is improved and processor load is reduced, however, by providing the vehicle with an accurate map. The map can be a 2-D or 3-D map of the area of operation of the vehicle.